1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data control apparatus, a data control method and an image forming apparatus, more specifically relates to a data control apparatus, a data control method and an image forming apparatus in which transfer of control program to a plurality of extension peripheral devices are carried out by down load through a communication means from an external recording medium connected with the main body.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore in an image forming apparatus a control program thereof or the like is achieved with stored in read only memory (ROM) which is set up in the apparatus.
However, when the program thereof is need to modify for the reason of an occurrence of bug and so on, it is required that the ROM in which the program is stored must be exchanged.
For this work to exchange the ROM, the image forming apparatus must be disassembled into a level in which the ROM can be exchanged, in particular when the image forming apparatus is completed as a final product it takes a lot of labor and time.
On that account a flash ROM becomes utilized to store the program to reduce the working hours for the exchange in these days.
Consequently, in the prior art technology a digital copy machine such as shown in FIG. 3 denoted with the reference numeral 100 has been realized. This digital copy machine 100 comprises a main body 101 and as optional devices 120, a printer option 130 and a facsimile option 140 which are built in the main body 101. The main body 101 and the respective options 130, 140 are connected with UART (universal asynchronous receiver transmitter; asynchronous serial communication) 102, 131, 141 which are provided in the respective parts and application image bus.
The main body 101 comprises a main control device 103, a writing control device 104, a mechanical load control device 105, a readout control device 106, an operation panel 107 and so on. The main control device 103 includes in addition to the above described UART 102, an image control unit 108, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 109, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 110, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 111, an IC (Integrated Circuit) card (ICCARD) connecter 112, and so on. As for the ROM 110, a flash ROM is used.
The main body 101 controls the respective devices of the digital copy machine 100 on the basis of a control program stored in the ROM 110 with utilizing the RAM 111 as a work memory to achieve processes as a digital copy machine 100.
An image scanning device (not shown) which actually reads out image of original manuscript is connected to the readout control device 106. The image scanning device is controlled to read out the image of manuscript by the readout control device 106 under control of the CPU 109, then the read out image data are output to the image control unit 108 of main control device 103.
Various types of keys (not shown) and a display (not shown) are furnished in the operation panel 107 to display various information on the display under control of the main control device 103 and to output content of key manipulation to the main control device 103.
A printing engine (not shown) is connected to the writing control device 104 to output an image for recording on a recording paper in the electrophotography method, and the printing engine is made to output and record an image based on the image data sent from the image control unit 108 on the recording paper by the writing control device 104 under control of the main control device 103.
The mechanical load control device 105 controls various types of machinery mechanisms under control of the main control device 103.
To the IC card connector 112, IC cards 113 are detachably inserted, and when the control program in a ROM 110 is updated, an IC card 113 in which the updated control program is stored, is inserted to the IC card connector 112.
The printer option 130 is provided with a CPU 132, a ROM 133, a RAM 134, an image control unit 135, an IC card connector 136 and so on in addition to the above described UART 131, as for the ROM 133 a flash ROM is used.
In the printer option 130, the CPU 132 controls the respective devices of the printer option 130 on the basis of a control program stored in the ROM 133 with utilizing the RAM 134 as a work memory to achieve a printing process.
To the IC card connector 136, IC cards 137 are detachably inserted, and when the control program in a ROM 133 is updated, an IC card 137 in which the control program for updating operation is stored, is inserted to the IC card connector 136.
The facsimile option 140 is provided with a CPU 142, a ROM 143, a RAM 144, an image control unit 145, an IC card connector 146 and so on in addition to the above described UART 141, as for the ROM 143 a flash ROM is used.
In the facsimile option 140, the CPU 142 controls the respective devices of the facsimile option 140 based on a control program stored in the ROM 143 with utilizing the RAM 144 as a work memory to achieve a facsimile transmission process.
To the IC card connector 146, IC cards 147 are detachably inserted, and when the control program in the ROM 143 is updated, an IC card 147 in which the control program for updating operation is stored, is inserted to the IC card connector 146.
The printer option 130 and the facsimile option 140 are connected to the main body of digital copy machine 100 by the UART 102, 131 and 141 which are communication means and an application image bus which is an image data bus, the main body 101 communicates with the respective options 130 and 140 for control data by the UART 102, 131 and 141, for image data through the application image bus, consequently the digital copy machine 100 carries out function and operation as a series of composite machines.
In the digital copy machine 100 in the prior art when a necessity for updating of the control program is occurred in the main body 101 or in the respective options 130 and 140, as shown in FIG. 4, an IC card 113,137 or 147 in which a program to be updated and a control program for updating operation are stored, is inserted and connected to the IC card connector 112, 136 or 146 of the main body 101, or option 130 or 140 on which the necessity for updating of program is occurred (Step S101). Then a power switch of the main body 101 is turned on (Step S102), and the program to be updated in the IC card 113, 137 or 147 is activated (Step S103), consequently exchange of the addresses of ROM 110, 133 or 143 on a memory map and the addresses of the IC card 113, 137 or 147 is achieved. Then the main body 101 or the respective options 130 and 140 is activated by the control program for updating operation in the IC card 113, 137 or 147, and a down load of the control program is begun (Step S104), and the control program stored in the IC card 113, 137 or 147 is sequentially transferred until the control program is completely transferred (Step S105–S106).
When the transfer of control program has been completed in the Step 106, the down load is terminated (Step S107).
As a consequence, on the digital copy machine 100 in the prior art, working hours for program updating operation could be drastically shortened.
However, in the image forming apparatus, that is to say the digital copy machine 100 in the prior art as above described, because the same down load method is adopted at the main body 101 and the respective options 130 and 140, the IC card connector 112, 136 and 146 are required in every circuit board, that is to say in every main body 101 and the respective options 130 and 140, it brings a problem causing higher cost for the apparatus because the structure of apparatus becomes complicated.